Solstice Knight: Chronicles
by The Emerald's Edge
Summary: Follow the travels and exploits of former Jedi Knight Leon Solstice as he seeks the destruction of the newly established Galactic Empire. A collection of shorts tying Solstice Knight and its sequel Last Paragons together, with the return of friends and former allies and the rise of a new enemy can Leon truly save the galaxy or will he fail or worse fall.
1. What Will We Do?

"What happened?" Ahsoka asked him.

Leon had recovered from his duel with Palpatine who he now knew as Sidious, the chancellor turned out to be a Sith Lord and was manipulating the Republic, the Jedi Order and the war since the beginning. After Titan squad pulled him out of the battle and got him to safety they along with the Twi'lek doctor that treated Leon paid a freight captain to give them safe passage to the Togruta home world Shili. He didn't know how he felt, emotion completely escape him as he looked back. He tried to process it all to figure out how it happened, but it didn't matter even though he was recovered he still felt drained.

"They're all dead" he answered her as they sat together on a grassy hilltop overlooking the village where Ahsoka now lived, "Windu, Fisto, Plo Koon…even Luminara. They're all gone."

"How?" she gasped, "How can they all be dead?"

"Palpatine" Leon told her, "Turns out he was a Sith Lord the entire time. He was Dooku's master, he was the reason the war continued to drag on" Leon chuckled pathetically, "He manipulated everything from the start."

He hung his head, "Then he issued an order to all the clones, he labeled the Jedi as traitors to be executed on sight."

Ahsoka hugged knees to her chest, "What about Anakin?"

Leon felt his heart freeze as she mentioned her former master's name. He saw the security footage from the temple, he saw Anakin lead the 501st into the temple to destroy it and everyone inside and he watched as Anakin slaughtered the younglings hiding in the council's chambers.

"He's…he's dead" he lied, "Another Sith appeared, calls himself Darth Vader. He caught Anakin off guard and killed him."

"It can't be" Ahsoka muttered, "Anakin wouldn't be…he can't really be…" she looked at him, her eyes shining as tears flooded behind them.

"I'm sorry" Leon said, "If I was there I could have stopped it. I could have stopped all of it."

He didn't want to lie to her, he would never dream to lie to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth. Anakin had fallen to the dark side, he had turned against the Jedi Order and was solely responsible for its destruction. Her closest friend, the truth would destroy her.

"We have to do something" she told him, "We can't let it end like this. What are we going to do?"

"I almost beat Palpatine when we fought" Leon said, "If I can get to him again I could kill him and bring down whatever empire he's trying to build."

"I'll help you" Ahsoka said only for Leon to panic.

"No" he quickly gasped, "No, you need to stay here where it's safe."

"What? Leon no you can't do this alone."

"I have to" Leon told her, "Ahsoka this will be harder than anything either of us have ever done, worse than Dooku and Grievous, worse than Korriban. It's too dangerous."

Standing up Ahsoka argued, "It's even more dangerous to do it alone."

"I know" Leon admitted, "But I have to."

Raising her voice Ahsoka told him, "No you don't. I can help."

"Ahsoka" Leon began, his voice breaking, "I can't lose you to. I won't always be able to protect you."

She pushed, "I can protect myself."

"So could Edge, so could Thalia, so could Luminara" he told her jumping to his feet, "And they all died" he began crying, "I can't lose you to. You're all I have left."

He reached for her cheek, cupping it in his hand as he cried, "I couldn't protect Edge, I couldn't protect Thalia and I couldn't protect Luminara. If I lost you I wouldn't be able to keep going, I would just give up I'd be nothing without you."

The look in his eyes made his words stronger, the fear that accompanied his voice and tears. He had lost so much already, each time only being able to pull through because of her. If he were to lose her then there would be no one to help him recover.

Ahsoka raised her hand holding his against her cheek, "What about me?" she asked, "What if something happened to you? What do you think that would do to me? You say you can't lose me, I can't lose you either."

They stood there alone atop the hill, the wind the only sound their foreheads meeting as they wrapped their arms around each other a tight embrace in fear of losing the other. Having lived in the Jedi Order her entire life, she was already lost without it, losing him as well would leave her with nothing and as for him, he had lost everyone important to him and losing her would also take away his will to continue. What could they do other than hold each other, there were no more words to be said at the moment either of them too tired or afraid to say anything else instead they simply continued to hold on to what they had left.

She moved first tilting her head up pushing his up as she did before leaning in to meet his lips. The greatest sensation either of them had ever felt, no matter how many times it happened it was never short of bliss. Slowly he leaned back until he fell pulling her with him as he landed on his back with her on top of him. For a moment they gazed into each other's eyes still at a loss for what to say both of them still afraid of what the future would bring, but for now it didn't matter all that did was them and that they were still together. Again their lips met their tears dried and their worries silenced, for now they would enjoy what they had.


	2. Two Months

The people in the streets Ganthel stood back ignoring the rain's steady increase into a downpour and watched as a squad of stormtroopers surrounded a young woman and her brother who was openly criticizing the actions of the Galactic Empire. Despite her efforts to talk her brother down the young woman was also being charged with disturbing the peace and possibly treason, and while she pleaded with the lead trooper to explain the situation her brother continued to resist until the lead trooper was fed up. He pushed the man to the ground raised his blaster rifle and with the trigger pulled a single scorch mark was left on the young man's shoulder. The young man screamed through clenched teeth reaching for his wound only for the plasma scoring to burn even more causing him to thrash about.

"We're taking them both in" the lead trooper told his squad motioning for them to arrest the two.

While the woman continued to cry and beg and her brother scream and thrash the lead trooper looked at the spectating civilians asking if anyone else had anything to say against the Empire. The mass response was averted eyes as some began to turn and walk away too afraid to say anything, too afraid to stand up against them. As some of the crowd dispersed a single person stepped forward wrapped in a hooded robe with their face completely concealed.

"I've got a lot to say" the figure told the trooper the voice male, "Should I start with how much of a coward your Emperor is or how pathetic his Empire is? Or maybe I should talk about the horrible excuse for a man I see in front of me?"

"Guess you want me to arrest you" the trooper said only to hear the hooded person chuckle.

"I want you to try."

The trooper raised his rifle and the hooded figure moved, pushing the blaster back down before thrusting a knife hand chop at the trooper's neck stunning him. His leg flying up and spearing downward kicking the trooper's knee from the inside causing him to collapse before hooking his leg around his still standing leg, grabbing the trooper by his throat he pushed back as he swept the trooper's leg. Though his helmet protected him from the worst of the impact the sudden shock dazed the trooper as the back of his head was slammed into the ground.

Grabbing the downed trooper's rifle the hooded attacker turned in a kneeling stance and fired, two shots finding their mark against another trooper's chest before two more hit the next trooper in his shoulder and chest followed by a fifth and sixth shot to the third imperial leaving only one more. The remaining stormtrooper cursed the hooded assailant and raised his rifle only for something to push at him from the side causing his aim to shift and his shot to harmlessly impact the ground. Turning to fire again his arms were pushed once more this time upward and everyone watched as the blaster bolt sailed into the sky.

"What the hell?" the trooper wondered before looking down to see the hooded figure sprinting toward him.

Unable to react in time the imperial soldier felt his attacker's shoulder ram into his gut knocking him off his feet. As he fell back the stormtrooper watched his attacker shift to the side and place his hand against his armor just over his chest and when he pushed down the trooper felt something else push him to the ground, but this push wasn't just against his chest. It went beneath his armor and through his skin and between his ribs before reaching his heart, that's when he felt the push, one strong enough to cause his heart to explode on impact.

Knowing his enemy's final breath would be spent choking on his own blood, the hooded figure stood up dropping a bacta patch in front of the young woman and her wounded brother and then turning around to face the lead trooper who had regained his senses. The soldier got up to one knee first, but before he could stand the hooded figure was already in front of him crouched down with his fist reared back. The uppercut knocked the stormtrooper sergeant into the air, his helmet flying off as he landed on his back once again.

"You won't get away with this" the sergeant choked as the hooded man lifted him up, "The Empire will."

"Fall" the hooded man said, "The Empire will fall and the Emperor will die at my hand, as will anyone else who gets in my way."

Wrapping his hand around the imperial's throat the hooded man began squeezing until the last gasp of air was expelled and the stormtrooper's body went limp. Dropping the his dead enemy the hooded figure turned around and walked away, the few civilians that remained too terrified to move could only watch him walk away without another word to anyone as the rain had turned into a full on monsoon. Word must have spread quickly nearly every civilian in the area had fled to their homes or sought shelter inside a nearby business afraid to be seen in the streets after what happened.

Ignoring the rain the hooded man continued to walk through the open alleyways until he came across the condemned warehouse he had taken refugee in for the past two weeks. With a wave of his hand the steel door was lifted into the air and moved to the side without a sound, once inside another wave of the hand replaced the door sealing him inside where no one would find him. Continuing to the back corner and the staircase that led to the second floor the hooded man reached for his neck and pulled at his collar dragging the soaked robe off and tossing it to the side.

Two months, it had been two months since he left Shili to fight the Empire. It was just him now, all alone to take on the Galactic Empire and the pair of Sith that commanded it. Two months and yet it felt like years. He had attacked transports carrying soldiers, equipment and resources, set bombs in shipyards stolen medical supplies and poisoned food rations that were exclusively reserved for Imperial forces, for two months he hit them in every way he could think of, but he was just one man, one man against an Empire.

He could have had a partner, there were others he trusted to fight alongside him, people he had fought with before and entrusted with his life, but he chose to leave them behind, leave her behind.

 _"It's safer for them"_ he reminded himself as he collapsed on the old musty couch, safer that they be as far away as possible from his battle against the Empire.

It took a lot to convince his brothers to stay out of the fight and it took even more to convince her to stay on Shili where it would be safer. She had cried and pleaded for him to not go alone, telling him it would be better for them to both fight together, but he couldn't risk it. After everything he lost leaving him with only her and three others, if anything were to happen to her then he would lose all will to continue on. He hated himself for putting her through such despair he knew she had a point that they would be safer together, but he could not risk it, above all else she had to remain safe.

He promised he would contact her every day to let her know he was alive and well, but after the first month every day turned into every other day before becoming once a week. Despite the distance between them he could sense the fear in her heart the pain she felt at the thought of something happening to him, it was the same pain he felt when he thought the same about her. He loved her, for a long time they were friends and for a long time he loved her and then though his love for her still remained, he left her.

 _"Please" she said to him when the shuttle's ramp lowered, "Please take me with you."_

 _"I can't" he answered, "I can't risk anything happening to you."_

 _"What will I do?" she asked him, "What will I do if something happens to you?"_

 _He finally turned to her wrapping his arms around her, holding her tight feeling her return the embrace right away._

 _"I'll come back" he whispered to her, "I will come back alive, I promise you. I'll call you every day to let you know I'm alright and I will come back to you alive."_

 _She couldn't find her voice as he let go and pulled away from her, she watched him board the shuttle and as the door began to close she heard his last words to her._

 _"I love you Ahsoka."_


	3. Hate

Seven months had past now, seven months since he left to fight against the Empire and word of him was starting to spread. His identity was still unknown to the Empire, but the name they gave him began to circulate, Der Attentater, a word from the old Mandalorian dialect roughly translating to The Assassin. He cared little for the name, but if it helped strike fear into the Empire then he would gladly carry it wherever he went, like he did today as he infiltrated an Imperial base.

He captured a storm trooper sergeant earlier learning that a Moff would be visiting the base for inspection as well as conduct a rumored secret operation. The operation piqued the former Jedi's interest, but he would deal with that when he got to it for now the primary target was the Moff. He donned the captured trooper's armor and entered the base.

The steel halls echoed with each footstep of the dozens of soldiers marching in squads as they went about their patrols. Officers, and off duty troopers often walking alone or in small groups going about their business, he felt the anger boiling inside him each time he passed one having to suppress his desire to kill them all right now. He would wait, the destruction of this base and the deaths of everyone in it would come soon, but for now his objective was to scout, to memorize the layout of the facility and then decide where would be the best place to strike. A look at the personnel list would be a nice bonus in the event anyone was unfortunate enough to miss the party or if there was another surprise high ranking individual to introduce himself to.

The mess hall, the hangar, the maintenance wing, the barracks and the command center, he patrolled the base blending in as he memorized each wing planning his attack. It would be best to start in the maintenance wing, sabotage everything before moving to the armory and finding a way to limit their weaponry access. After that he would move to communications and shut them down before making his way to the hangar and destroying everything in sight. And by that point the entire base would be on alert and looking for him, and then, he would kill them all.

He left the base returning to the spot he made his hideout during his stay, after a check to make sure no one had followed him and he was lone he began striping the armor off. He remembered how much his team during the war would complain after a mission at how hot their armor got sometimes even with the cooling systems inside, he was sweating by the time he got out of it all. Setting the armor in the corner and hiding it behind a collapsed cabinet and blanket he moved to the torn up mattress that lied on the floor next to the wall.

It had been nearly seven months since this started, since the Republic ended and the Empire was born in its place, he thought back to those days when things were better. Sure there was a war going on, but at least then he had friends and allies, now he was alone. Those that weren't dead had either gone off to find something to do with their life or he had left behind in an attempt to leave them out of it. He did it to avoid losing them, the few people he had left even if it meant taking on the Empire alone, even if it meant being alone.

He hadn't spoke to his surviving team in six months and he hadn't spoken to her in five. He missed them, all of them. He wanted to see them again just to see their faces and hear their voices, even if just for a moment so he wouldn't be alone, but this was the choice he made. As he lied down staring at the night sky through the hole in the wall he found himself wondering what they were doing, how his brothers were faring and if she was still waiting for him or had moved on.

He woke before the rays of the morning light touched him, dressing in the stolen stormtrooper armor and hiding his lightsabers inside. As planned the maintenance wing was his first target, anything that appeared major like troop transports or tanks he would sabotage before moving on to the armory where he found a crate of remote explosives that he set in hidden spots around the room. He entered communications after that raising his hands grasping the two Imperials inside by their necks crushing their tracheas in an instant, killing them. Placing the last few explosives around the room he stepped out and made his way to the hangar, he would set off the explosives from here and then he would begin.

"Sergeant?" one of them said seeing him standing there, "Sir, is something wrong?"

He reached up his hands pulling his helmet off and kneeled down setting it on the ground.

The trooper watched him, "You look a bit too young to be a sergeant. Is this some kind of joke? A dare? You'll get in trouble for this."

After he finished taking off the armor he just smiled at the trooper before raising his hand once more revealing a detonator and when the look of realization dawned on the Imperial's face he pressed the switch and the facility shook.

"What the hell?" the trooper yelled a mere second before something stabbed through his body.

He looked down to see a silver light impaled through his gut, the burning blade cauterizing the wound, but burning his insides. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he died as the lightsaber was pulled from his body. He heard the yells of the others in the hangar, the ones that saw him and his weapon, they sounded sent out the call for backup and began firing and he only grinned.

The day ended with the base destroyed and the Moff he was after cornered and wounded, his hand cut off and a blaster shot to his knee, he would never walk again.

He stood above him as the older man retreated crawling backwards into the corner, "You can kill me" he said, "But you can't kill what I stand for, you can't kill the Empire!"

He crouched down looking into his eyes, "Can't I?" he asked holding his hand up and invading the Moff's mind.

The old man screamed as he tried to resist, feeling his thoughts being ripped from his head as the ex-Jedi probed deeper and deeper, searching. He tried to kick, but his body was being held by unseen hands leaving him immobile and only able to scream as he tried in vain to fight back. Deeper he felt the hand going into his brain and the deeper it went the more he felt his thoughts be ripped from him causing pain with each one as if they were being cut off and then it stopped.

"So that's why you were here" he said stopping his invasion into the Moff's mind, "Thank you for sharing."

The Moff gasped as the lightsaber speared his heart killing him half a second later. Standing up the former Jedi turned around leaving the burning base behind and returning to his hide out. He would have to pack what little he had and find a way off world and to the adjacent system as soon as he could, the secret operation the Moff was meant to oversee would be starting within the week.


End file.
